Anyone arriving in Spain and planning to live indefinitely, study, work or start a business, must apply for a residence card within 15 days of arriving in Spain. EU nationals planning to stay for a limited period are issued with a temporary residence card for the period requested. If the period is indefinite a five-year residence card (tarjeta comunitaria europea or tarjeta de residente comunitario) is issued. Cards for dependants are issued for the same period as the principal applicant (children under 18 may be included on a parent's residencia). A non-EU residence card is initially valid for two years or the length of a contract and on renewal is valid for five years. A permanent residence card is available to all foreigners who have held a normal residence permit for a period of six years.

Residence cards are issued by the foreign nationals office (Oficina Gubernativa de Extranjeros) or the provincial central police station (Comisaría de Policía Provincial) in the province where the applicant is resident, and applications must be made in person to the nearest national police station (Comisaría de Policía Nacional) with a foreigners' department (departamento/oficina de extranjeros).

Usually the original documents must be accompanied by one or two copies. The documentation required usually includes the following:

-Passport valid for at least six months and a photocopy of the pages showing your particulars.

-Marriage or divorce certificate or other papers relating to your marital status plus a Spanish translation.

-A number of completed application forms (e.g. form 037 for EU citizens, form 120 for non-EU employed persons and form 140 for non-EU, non-employed persons).

-A number of passport-size photographs (one for each application form).

-Proof of residence, e.g. your property purchase contract (escritura), a long-term rental contract or receipts for rent.

-Fees, which must be paid via a bank. It depends on your nationality and whether your country has a bilateral agreement with Spain.

-Medical certificate (certificado médico), obtainable from any Spanish doctor.

-Certificate of criminal record (certificado de antecedentes penales) declaring that you don't have a criminal record in your home country (you can request a statement from your local police authorities).

-Certificate of registration (consular inscription) confirming that you're a resident in Spain, available from your country's local consulate in Spain.

-Retired persons require proof that they belong to a private health insurance scheme that's valid in Spain (the company must have an office in Spain) or that they have the right to medical treatment under the Spanish public health scheme.

Employees require a job contract or an offer of employment in the form of a pre-contract stamped and signed by both parties (or a letter written on the headed paper of the Spanish employer). Self-employed persons require evidence that they meet the requirements to operate a business or perform a particular profession in Spain. Non-EU citizens require proof of their investment in order to be self-employed in Spain.

Some documents must be translated into Spanish by a notarized translator or notarized by a public notary (notario).

When your application for a residence card is approved, you're issued with a receipt (resguardo) as proof of your application. It's valid for two months and renewable until your residencia is ready for collection. The resguardo also permits you to travel abroad and return to Spain without a visa. You should carry your residence card with you at all times as it constitutes a mandatory identity card for foreign residents in Spain.